2018 Logolounge Trend Report

Serif Redux

Picture a cycle of rebrand austerity that found many of the most beloved brands racing for the anonymity of soulless sans serifs. Such a flood of willing participants in this still bleeding, but waning trend, proves that an action of descent speaks louder than sans. Maybe it was a crop of nascent designers prepping to binge the freshly hyped Stranger Things, and looked at the title graphic, mouth agape, at the entrancing serifs hanging from each and every letter. A throwback for sure, but the cultural impact of this show can’t be denied. It may well have led to the largest mass migration of designers in history, as they scrolled through their font files and were reunited with long-lost serifs.

The rebrand of Chobani at the leadership of Leland Maschmeyer, brought warmth, humanity and unapologetic charm to a product previously lingering behind a futuristic sans serif. In logo design, many of the trend-countering serif, signal a return to a period when a little fat and curve on the bones was a good thing. The resurgence also welcomes back lowercase solutions to the tent that was starting to feel pretty empty. Nature abhors a vacuum and designers do too.